Machine for making metal wool



May 17, 1932. L. PETERSON MACHINE FOR MAKING METALAWOOL Filed Dec. 17,1928 Patented May 17,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT.' oI-lI-Cfaz'l LEVANDER PETERSON, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T JAMES-H. RHODES &

COMPANY,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 4OF ILLINOIS MACHINE ronMAKING METAL Woon Application filed December 17, 1928. Serial No.326,491.

In the manufacture of steel wool from wire, the wire is drawn across aseries of bed plates and the wool is cutl from the wire in fine strandsby a series of knives positioned adjacent the bed plates in slightlyspaced relation to the same.

The rate of production of the wool is of course proportionate to therate of speed of the wire, but if the latter is increased beyond acertain point the heat generated by the cutting of the knives and thepressure of the wire against the bed plates soon results in chipping ofthe knives, breaking of the wire, and ignition of the wool.

The object of the present invention is to provide, in a machine formaking steel wool, an improved bed plate construction which will preventoverheating of the machine and thereby permit of a substantial increasein the rate of production of the wool.

vWhile the foregoing statement is indicative in a general way of th-enature of the invention, other objects and advantages will be apparentto those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of theconstruction, arrangement and operation of the improved bed plateconstruction.

One form of the invention is presented herein for the purpose ofexemplification, but it will of course be appreciated that the inventionis susceptible of embodiment in other' structurally modified formscoming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

F ig. 1 is a side view of a machine constructed in accordance with theinvention, certain portions being shown broken away for clearness;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view, taken on the line 3e-3 of Fig. l.

The machine shown in the drawings includes two vertically extendingcylindrical drums and 11 which are rotatably mounted on horizontallyspaced pedestals 12 and 13. The drums, which are driven by any suitablemeans, are provided at regular intervals vertically thereof with shallowperipheral grooves, and the wire 14 from which the wool is cut istrained about the drums in the grooves. The wire is f-ed ati15 to thelowermost groove in thedrum 10, winds upwardly about the drums inelongated vhorizontal loops, and is removed at 16 from the uppermostgroove in the drum 11. The wire'is maintained taut by any suitablemeans, and the area enclosed within the horizontal stretches of the wirebetween the drumsis occupied by a rectangular block 17 which constitutesthe working bed of the machine.

Each of the faces of the block 17 along which the horizontal stretchesof theV wire extend is provided with a row of vertically extending bedplates 18, and the wire '14 travels in vshallow grooves formed intiersin the outer faces of the bed plates. In Vthe particular machine shown,eight bed plates are provided at each side of the block,` but the numbermay be increased or Adecreased if desired. Each of the bed plates hasassociated therewith a vertically extending bar 19 which carries a tierof knives 201 Each of the horizontal stretches of the wire is drawn:bythe particular drum toward which it travels past the eight bed plates18 and is out into by as many of the knives 20, the traction for thewire beingv the frictional engagement provided by the groove in thedrum. The knives 2O are fastened by set-screws 21 in holders 22 whichare pivoted at 23 to brackets 24 carried by the bars 19, and the depthof cut of the knives is determined by the adjustment of set screws 25and 26 which extend through the bars 19 and engage with the holders 22at opposite sides of the pivotal axes thereof.

The bed plates 18 are hollow, and are preferably made in two parts 27and 28. The parts 27 are provided with vertically extending channels 29,while the parts 28 are detachably secured to the parts 27 at oppositesides of the channels 29 by machine bolts 30 on interposed iuidtightgaskets 31. The lower end of the channel 29 in the first bed plate ateach side of the block is connected with a pipe 32, and the lower end ofthe channel in the last bed plate at each side of the block is connectedwith a pipe 33. The channels in all of the bed plates at each side ofthe bed are connected together in series by pipes 34. The connectionsdescribed provide a tortuous passageway through the bed plates at eachside of the block, and cold water or other suitable cooling medium isforced through such passageway, by any suitable means, such as a pump35, if water under pressure is'not available, from the pipe 33 to thepipe 32 to carry off the heat developed at the bed plates and thusprevent the bed plates from becoming heated above an efcient operatingtemperature.

The novel bed plate construction described permits the wire to be run ata high rate of speed without danger of the wire breaking,

the Wool burning, o1' the knives chipping.

I claim:

- l. In a. machine for making metal wool from wire, a pair ofhorizontally spaced vertically extending grooved cylindrical drums aboutwhich a wire is wound in a number of substantially horizontal elongatedloops, means for rotating the drums, a block between the drums, rows ofhollow vertically extending bed plates on the sides of the block acrosswhich the wire is drawn, conduits connecting the chambers in the platesin Series, means for causing a cooling fluid to flow through thechambers in the plates, and knives arranged in vertical tiers OPPO-site' the plates for cutting the wool from the wire.

` 2. In a machine for making metal wool from wire, a bed plateconsisting of a channeled member and a substantially flat member insealed association with the channeled member over, the channel therein,means for circulatingA a coolingV fluid through the chamber between saidmembers, means for drawing a Wire across the substantially flat membei'`of the bed plate, and means opposite the,

bed plate for cutting the wool from the wire.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LEVANDER PETERSON.

